Pittsburgh Basketball Club To Honor Two Former Beaver Falls Tigers

(Frank Sparks/Beaver County Radio)

A pair of Beaver Falls hoops legends are getting recognized in a major way.

Per the Larry Bruno Foundation via their Facebook page, Alvin Gibson (Class of 1977) and Dwight Collins (Class of 1979) will be inducted into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club for 2022. The ceremony will take place at Chartiers Country Club on February 5.

Collins and Gibson become the fourth and fifth Tigers inducted into the PBC, following their former coach Frank Chan, along with former players Oscar Jackson and Ken Waggoner. Under Chan and with Collins, the Tigers won the 1979 Class 3A WPIAL Championship.

Collins is also a 2021 Circle of Achievement inductee into the Larry Bruno foundation, who said in their announcement of these two inductees “Anytime BFHS athletics are recognized in the Pittsburgh arena it’s something to be proud of…verifies the fact that our student athletes stack up against any in western PA and the entire state.”

Pa State Police Searching for Unknown Shooter in Slippery Rock Friday Night

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(Slippery Rock Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that they were called to the scene of reports of gunshots being fired at The Grove Apartments on Harmony Road in Slippery Rock Twp. on Friday night at 9:00 PM.
Upon arriving on the scene it was learned that the shots were heard by multiple residents. A preliminary search for wounded victims was conducted in the area of the reported shots. During the search Troopers encountered a male in the vicinity who claimed to be in possession of a firearm and stated his intent to shoot Troopers. The male was subdued with non-lethal force and found to be unarmed.
Photos of the shooter have been making their rounds on social media and Troopers are asking anyone who can identify the unknown shooter to contact the Pa State Police in Butler and ask for Trooper OSCHE from the criminal investigation unit

Route 65 On-ramps to Southbound I-79 Long-term Closure Begins Today in Allegheny County

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Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the long-term closure of the ramps from Route 65 and Deer Run Road to southbound I-79 at the Neville Island Bridge in Glenfield Borough, Allegheny County will begin Monday, January 31 weather permitting.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, the ramps that carry traffic from Route 65 in both directions and Deer Run Road to southbound I-79 will close to traffic continuously through early March as crews conduct paint containment system installation. All ramp traffic will be detoured.

Posted Detour – Northbound and Southbound Route 65

  • From northbound and southbound Route 65, follow the signs to northbound I-79 toward Erie
  • Turn on to Kilbuck Street
  • From Kilbuck Street, take the ramp to northbound I-79
  • From northbound I-79, take the Mt. Nebo (Exit 68) off-ramp
  • Turn left onto Mt. Nebo Road
  • Turn left onto the ramp to southbound I-79
  • Follow southbound I-79 back to the Neville Island Bridge
  • End detour

Posted Detour – Deer Run Road

  • Follow Deer Run Road eastbound past the closed ramp
  • Turn left onto Kilbuck Street
  • From Kilbuck Street, take the ramp to northbound I-79
  • From northbound I-79, take the Mt. Nebo (Exit 68) off-ramp
  • Turn left onto Mt. Nebo Road
  • Turn left onto the ramp to southbound I-79
  • Follow southbound I-79 back to the Neville Island Bridge
  • End detour

Alternate Detour – Northbound and Southbound Route 65

  • From Route 65, turn onto the Sewickley Bridge
  • Turn left onto Route 51 and follow through Coraopolis
  • Take the ramp to southbound I-79
  • End detour

The closing of the ramps will allow the contractor to safely close the ramp acceleration lane and shoulder on the Neville Island Bridge in the southbound direction. The installation of the metal pans as part of the overhead suspension paint containment system needs to be completed in the daylight hours for the safety of workers and motorists.

Off-duty uniformed police officers will be staged at various locations along the detour route.

A second closure of the ramps will occur later this fall.  Additional details will be provided in advance of the closures.

The $43 million I-79 Neville Island Bridge Rehabilitation Project includes structural steel repairs, full structure painting, bearing and deck joint replacements, deck repairs and overlays, bridge barrier repair, substructure concrete work and drainage improvements.  The project also includes concrete roadway reconstruction, guide rail replacement and preservation work on four sign structures. Additionally, preservation work will occur on the I-79 bridge over Deer Run Road, north of the Neville Island Bridge.  Motorists will see ramp closures and single-lane and shoulder closures in each direction on I-79 during daylight off-peak and overnight hours. Other traffic impacts include four southbound weekend closures in 2022. The overall project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

The Trumbull Corporation is the prime contractor.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

No Injuries in One Vehicle Crash on I-376 in Brighton Twp. Sunday Morning

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(Brighton Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called the the scene of a single vehicle accident on Interstate 376 in Brighton Twp. yesterday at 9:53 AM.
Troopers reported via release that upon arriving on the scene and investigating they determined that 34-year-old Amy Minium of Hermitage lost control of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee that she was driving north bound near Chapel Road on I-376 while negotiating a right curve in the road. The vehicle left the roadway and struck the retainer cables in the median twice before coming to a final rest on the left shoulder and part of the left lane.
Neither Minium or her passenger 35-year-old Terrance Metz also of Hermitage were injured.
The vehicle became disabled due to the crash and had to be towed from the scene.

Kia Recalls 410K Vehicles; Air Bags Might Not Work In Crash

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DETROIT (AP) — Kia is recalling more than 410,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix a problem that can stop the air bags from inflating in a crash. The recall covers certain Forte small cars from the 2017 and 2018 model years, and Sedona minivans and Soul small SUVs from 2017 through 2019. The electric Soul also is included. The Korean automaker says the air bag control computer cover can contact a memory chip and damage the electrical circuit. That could stop the air bags from inflating. Dealers will inspect the computer and either update software or replace it. Owners will be notified by mail starting March 21.

Aliquippa Man Charged After Falsely Identifying Himself During Traffic Stop in Aliquippa

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(Aliquippa, Pa. ) Pa State Police in Beaver reported Sunday, January 30, 2022, that they have charged 29-year-old Charles Grag of Aliquippa with providing false identification to law enforcement after a traffic stop that was conducted on December 29, 2021 at 1:44 PM at the intersection of Englewood Street and Franklin Ave in the City of Aliquippa.
Troopers said via release that when they conducted the traffic stop on the 1999 Honda Civic that Grag was driving he told them his name was Charles Hileman.

No other information about the incident was released by State Police.

Howard Hesseman, Dr. Johnny Fever, Star of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ Dies at 81

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By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Howard Hesseman, who played the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class,” has died. He was 81. His manager Robbie Kass said Sunday that Hesseman died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery. Hesseman, who had himself been a radio DJ in the ’60s, earned two Emmy nominations for playing Johnny Fever on CBS’ “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which ran for four seasons from 1978-1982. The role made Hesseman a counterculture icon at a time when few hippie characters made it onto network television.

Omicron Amps Up Concerns About Long COVID And Its Causes

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By LAURA UNGAR and LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writers
Omicron’s race across the globe has amped up concerns about long COVID, which some estimates suggest affects a third of COVID-19 survivors. Long COVID symptoms can include pain, fatigue and brain fog weeks or months after the initial infection. As coronavirus infections soar worldwide, scientists are racing to pinpoint the cause of the baffling condition and find new treatments before a potential explosion of cases. Could it be an autoimmune disorder? Could microclots in the bloodstream be causing some of the symptoms? And can vaccination reduce the chances of developing long COVID?

Pittsburgh Mayor Gainey Vows Disaster Emergency Declaration After Frick Park Bridge Falls

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — The mayor of Pittsburgh has announced plans to sign a declaration of disaster emergency for the city in light of last week’s collapse of a bridge in a city park. Mayor Ed Gainey said the declaration would increase availability of federal funds and speed cleanup and reconstruction of the Frick Park bridge. Gainey said the declaration would be in effect for a few days but called on council members to extend it. On Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a proclamation of disaster emergency for Allegheny County. Five vehicles and a city bus were on the bridge. Several people were taken to hospitals.

Pennsylvania Democrats Deadlock on Endorsing in Senate Race

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By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party committee members are deadlocked on their endorsement vote in the party’s hotly contested primary race for U.S. Senate. Winning an endorsement at Saturday’s meeting was a high hurdle to clear, requiring two-thirds of the party’s roughly 350 committee members. Third-term suburban Pittsburgh Congressman Conor Lamb came closest at 60%. His campaign has worked for months to win favor with committee members. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman suggested that even if his campaign lagged Lamb in popularity with committee members, he is leading the pack in other important ways, including in polls and fundraising.